Autumn and the Autumn Harvest is proving to be an interesting time in the garden this year. With the high levels of rainfall and low temperatures we saw throughout summer. The garden has been built using Hugelkultur methods therefore storing a lot of water and hardly drying out in some areas creating all sorts of garden problem solving for us. During March we really are just coming to the end of our summer season so will still be harvesting summer produce. We are still picking Pears, Peaches, Figs, Apples, Hawthorn Berries, Grapes, Hops, Elderberries and Aronia Berries. If we are lucky we may see an autumn flush of raspberries and June berries. While we are busy picking the last of the summer seasons produce we are also creating beautiful products for you to buy in our Harvest Shop. This season we are focusing on our:

• Elderberry Tonic and Cordial a great immune boost and loaded with antioxidants. Great for respiratory concerns and oncoming colds
• Aronia Berry Vinaigrette and Cordial loaded with fibre, vitamin C and and an antioxidant super source
• Rose hip syrup which you can learn more about here.
• Zucchini Relish a delicious way to use up a big harvest and keep enjoying through the year
• Tomato Chilli Jam, just yum!!
• Tomato Passata, so much tastier than you will ever find in the shops.

“It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the Spring, who reaps a harvest in the Autumn.” BC Forbes

During April when autumn really kicks in we finish our Autumn Harvest of tomatoes and other summer vegetables.  In the kitchen garden beds we like to use as much as possible which makes it necessary to plan our beds. So we can start to plan our winter produce the beans will come out first and be replaced with snow peas as they need to be planted earlier. This year we will be replacing our tomato beds with onion sets. From the forest we will also start to harvest our Pumpkins, Melons, Red Aronia Berries and Pomegranates. In May we start cleaning up the forest for winter and continue to harvest beautiful fresh autumn produce such as Guavas, Meddlers, Tomatillos and Dalia flowers.

As always it’s a busy time of year in the garden and a great chance to visit and try something new. So why not book yourself in for an educational experience this autumn and rediscover your passion for the garden.